These days, we provide thermal comfort in winter by heating the entire air volume in a room or building, an approach that consumes a lot of fossil fuels. In this series of articles, LOW←TECH MAGAZINE focuses on our forebear’s concept of heating, which was more localized. They used radiant heat sources that warmed only certain parts of a room, creating micro-climates of comfort, and they used personal heating sources that warmed specific body parts. It would make a lot of sense to restore this old way of warming, especially since newer technology has made it much more practical, safe, and efficient. By placing heating technology in a historical context, LOW←TECH MAGAZINE challenges the high-tech approach to sustainability and highlights the possibilities of alternative solutions. Contents table: Restoring the Old Way of Warming: Heating People, not Spaces Insulation: First the Body, then the Home The Revenge of the Hot Water Bottle Energy Labels Oblige Frugal Homeowners to Make Unsustainable Investments How to Keep Warm in a Cool House Sunbathing in the Living Room: Tile Stoves and Other Radiant Heating Systems Heat Storage Hypocausts: Air Heating in the Middle Ages The Revenge of the Circulating Fan

This channel hosts video material in support of the BC Energy Step Code. The BC Energy Step Code is a new opt-in provincial standard that aims to create healthier, more efficient, and more comfortable new buildings. It does so by establishing measurable energy-efficiency requirements for new construction.

Explain to team members and clients the basic considerations for designing and building to Step 3 and beyond, including for future climate readiness, market expectations, cost, diverse building types, and future code readiness. Qualitatively assess a building’s likelihood of meeting the performance requirements of the BC Energy Step Code based on its design.

This video introduces builders to the different options they have to achieve higher performance levels when it comes to the building assemblies and their interfaces.

This module focuses firstly on building envelope details that are more commonly associated with performance issues. Viewers will then learn about quality assurance and control of the air barrier, and diagnosis and repair of the air barrier with the assistance of air tightness testing.

This module discusses correct design and construction steps for heating, cooling and ventilation systems used in Energy Step Code homes.

This module sets the groundwork for the overall design and compliance process. It shares the motivation behind this evolution towards performance-based code. It is not intended to cover design principles for the BC Energy Step Code (covered in Module 2).

This module builds on basic building science principles and applies them to the evolving/emerging enclosure design and construction practices required to meet the "envelope first" approach. This video is not intended to cover all foundational concepts and terms but offers important ideas to support.

This module presents ways in which the builder can manage the project, in cooperation with the rest of the project team and the trades, to achieve the expected performance levels.

This module discusses the different options that builders have when selecting an air barrier approach, and the important planning steps associated with a successful air barrier.

In addition to not feeding the masses, vertical farming could have grave environmental and economic consequences

Nature Cities - Urban agriculture is intuitively appealing, but its carbon footprint is unclear. This analysis of case studies in the United States and northern Europe finds that food from urban...

Jean-Marc Jancovici was invited for a talk by the MIT Media Lab : https://www.media.mit.edu/events/will-technology-save-us-from-climate-change/Slides : http...

Europe’s energy crisis is forcing companies to switch strategies or close down. The industry’s future hangs in the balance.